Deck lid prop



Jan. 17, 1939.

C. A. SCHALLIS DECK LID PROP Filed May 3, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTCR. (la r114, chal2is ATTORNEYS Jan. 17 1939.

c. A. SCHALLIS DECK LID PROP Filed May 3, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR v ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DECK LID PROP Application May 3, 1937, Serial No. 140,352

4 Claims.

1'0 and a second dropping of the lid will permit the lid to close.

It is not broadly new to provide means to achieve these functions, but I have a different arrangement of elements to achieve the end in =15 view.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the rear of a car showing the deck lid raised and the prop in position.

20 Fig. 2 is an elevation of the sectional prop.

Fig. 3 is a detail of the end of the upper section showing the journal for the rotating cam, shown in detail in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 (see description of Fig. 3).

25 Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on line 5-5 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 6 is a cross section of the same taken on the line 66 of Fig. 8.

Fig. '7 is a longitudinal section showing the O prop sections telescoped.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section showing the prop sections when extended to the extreme position.

Fig. 9 is a section showing the prop sections 35 after the lid has been allowed to drop back slightly to be supported in the raised position.

Fig. 10 is a similar section showing the prop sections when the lid has been raised a second time and is ready to be dropped back to permit 4.0 the sections to telescope.

Fig. 11 is a section on the line I I-I I of Fig. 9.

I designates the lower prop section, 2 the upper prop section. These telescope together. The inner section 2 is in the form of a flat bar as 45 plainly shown in Figs. 3 and 11. The end of this c section is provided with a stud 4 which has a reduced end 5 which may be upset over the end of the washer 6. This washer acts as an abutment for a helical spring 1 which bears in the 50 recess in one end of the cam 8. This cam is a rotating cam provided with pairs of notches 9 and I0, which hold the cam after it is rotated a.

quarter of a turn each time. These notches engage the pin II. A collar l2 holds in place the 55 headed pins I3 and M which can pass through the entry slots l5 into the rotatable cam. The pins strike the incline of teeth It of the cam. This rotates the cam about an eighth of a turn as is shown in Fig. 3. In this position, the cam and pins prevent further extension of the prop. The 5 lid is now dropped slightly and the cam pins drop back on the opposed inclined teeth i1 and this turns the cam another eighth of a turn to another locking position (see Fig. 9). In this position, the two sections are locked against tele- 10 scoping or contraction of the prop. To release the lid, the lid is raised a second time and another set of teeth I611 are struck by the cam pins l3 and this rotates the cam another eighth of a turn. The lid is released and the pins strike the 15 inclined teeth Ila and'rotate the cam another eighth of a turn, bringing the outlet passageways [5 to a position to allow the cam pins 13 and M to escape and the two sections to telescope.

The long and short of the matter is that a cam is provided with opposed saw teeth in two rows around the periphery of the cam. The saw tooth of one cam is opposite the gullet between two saw teeth of the other row of teeth. The pins I3 and M, by passing from one row of teeth to the other row of teeth, rotate the cam one eighth of a turn each time to reach the gullet between the teeth. The gullet of the upper row of teeth forms a stop to prevent the sections being drawn com.- pletely apart. The gullets of the other row of saw teeth form respectively a rest to hold the prop in extended position and passageway I5 to allow the pins to escape the cam and the sections to draw together.

I claim:

1. In a prop for an automobile deck lid or the like, the combination of a pair of prop sections slidable relative to each other and a cam supported on one prop and rotatable on an axis coincidental to the axis of the prop and a cam pin on the other section arranged whereby at the first extension of the sections, they are arrested by the pin striking the cam in the direction of the axis about which it rotates and then the cam pin is dropped back into a position on the cam to lock the two sections in extended position, and then a second extension of the prop sections rotates the cam so that the pin may escape from locked position and the prop sections slide together in contracting relation when the lid is allowed to drop.

2. In a prop for an automobile lid or the like, comprising a pair of relatively slidable prop sections and a cam comprising a pair of rows of saw teeth and rotatable on one prop section, one row having a passage leading out of the cam, and a cam pin fixed on the other section whereby when the sections are first extended, the cam pin strikes the inclined back of one saw tooth and rotates the saw teeth so that the pin, upon dropping back rests in the gullet of the other row of cam teeth and whereupon upon a second extension of the sections, the pin strikes the inclined back of a second saw tooth and rotates the cam to bring the said passageway below the pin and thus allow the pin to drop through the passageway and thereby permit the sections to slide together.

3. In a prop for an automobile deck lid or the like, comprising a pair of telescoping sections with a cam on one section arranged to rotate on the axis of said section and a pin on the other section, the cam provided with two rows of saw teeth with the teeth of one row staggered with respect to the teeth of the other row, providing opposed gullets and teeth with one or more passageways leading into and out of every other gullet on the lower row of saw teeth, whereby when the lid is first raised, the pin strikes the inclined back of one or the lower teeth, rotates the cam an eighth of a turn and then when the lid is dropped, it strikes the inclined back of an upper tooth and rotates the cam another eighth of a turn and the pin rests in the gullet of the upper row to hold the sections extended, and whereby upon a second raising of the lid, the pin strikes the inclined back of the second lower tooth to rotate the cam an eighth of a turn, positioning the pin above and back of the second tooth of the upper row and when the pin is again dropped onto the inclined back of the second tooth of the upper row, the cam is rotated another eighth of a turn to bring the passageway leading out of the gullet into registry with the cam pin and thus allow the escape of the same to permit the telescoping together of the prop sections.

4. In a prop for an automobile deck lid or the like, comprising a pair of telescoping sections with a cam on one section arranged to rotate on the axis of said section and a pin on the other section, the cam provided with two rows of saw teeth with the teeth of one row staggered with respect to the teeth of the other row, providing opposed gullets and teeth with one or more passageways leading into and out of every other gullet on the upper row of saw teeth, whereby when the lid is first raised, the pin strikes the inclined back of one of the lower teeth, rotates the cam an eighth of a turn and then when the lid is dropped, it strikes the inclined back of an upper tooth and rotates the cam another eighth of a turn and the pin rests in the gullet of the upper row to hold the sections extended, and whereby upon a second raising of the lid, the pin strikes the inclined back of the second lower tooth to rotate the cam an eighth of a turn, positioning the pin above the back of the second tooth of the upper row and when the pin is again dropped onto the inclined back of the second tooth of the upper row, the cam is rotated another eighth of a turn to bring the passageway leading out of the gullet into the registry with the cam pin and thus allow the escape of the same to permit the telescoping together of the prop sections and means for temporarily holding the cam at the quarter points of its turn.

CARL A. SCHALLIS. 

